News
Fakiye makes history in Moncton
New South Wales sprinter Patrick
Fakiye has tonight become the first Australian in two
decades to make the final of the men’s 100m at an IAAF world junior
championships, the 19-year-old’s blistering run headlining the
action on day three of the titles in Moncton, Canada.
Not since Queenslander Damien Marsh finished sixth
at the 1990 edition of the titles in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, has an
Australian male contested the final of the 100m sprint at a world
junior meet, a feat last seen at the senior world championships
when Paul Narracott (Qld) placed seventh in
Helsinki (FIN) in 1983.
Opening his campaign at Stade Moncton tonight in semi-final one of
three, Fakiye stormed out of the blocks and never looked back,
clocking 10.71 (w:2.6) to place fourth and clinch his place in the
final as eighth-fastest qualifier.
Returning to the track for the final event of
the night the national Under 20 100m title-holder took his place in
lane one alongside the top junior sprinters in the world and again
turned on a stellar performance to place eighth in a time of 10.62
(w:-0.7).
“It was an amazing experience to make the final and I’m just really
happy with my performance at these championships, it was really
exciting,” Fakiye said.
“It’s a great achievement and a great stepping
stone for the rest of my career.”
Fakiye said the atmosphere at Stade Moncton for the running of
tonight’s final was electrifying and thanked those who had helped
get him there.
“It was amazing, the atmosphere in the call room was so intense it
was unbelievable, you just have to be there to experience it,"
he said.
“The crowd was amazing, it looks like it was packed out tonight and
the closer it got to the start of the race the noise the crowd was
making was just unbelievable.
“I really want to thank my coach back home, Paul
Hallam, we dreamed about this two years ago and now I’m
here doing it. Also thanks to the team physiotherapists
Ben (Liddy) and
Merryn (Aldridge), my team coach
Brad Carter and all the other team coaches who
have done a great job getting us ready for the championships.”
2007 world youth and reigning world junior
champion Dexter Lee (JAM) took out the event in 10.21, becoming the
first man in world junior championships history to take
back-to-back titles in the event.
Also flying the flag for the Spark at Stade Moncton tonight were
Caitlin Sargent in the semi-finals of the 100m and
Rosie Lawson in the semi-finals of the 100m
hurdles, the two Queensland athletes stepping out on a big night of
track and field action.
First in action for the Spark on the second
session of day three was Sargent, who stopped the clock at 11.90
(w:1.2) to place fourth in her semi-final of the 100m and 11th
overall.
After a blistering run in last night’s opening rounds of the 100m,
where she crossed the line just .04 off her personal best time in
11.77 to advance to the semi-finals, Sargent aimed for another
near-perfect race on the track tonight.
“I tried to do everything the same as last
night with my warm-up, I did a really great start warming up but I
just didn’t quite have the awesome race I had last night,” she
said.
“I wanted to come out and do the same thing as last night but
better and I ran two tenths slower which is kind of disappointing
because I haven’t PB’d and I haven’t made the finals and they were
my two goals coming into the meet but what can you do?
“I was over the moon with the way I ran last
night and I just don’t feel like I quite got there mentally today,
I was more on the nervous side than excited which was probably
somewhat detrimental to my performance.”
Sargent said she would now turn her attention to the 200m and 400m
sprint events.
“I want to go home and start running 200m and 400m again because I
think that’s really where my strength lies, I think if you watch
the replay you’ll see I start catching the girls in the last 30 or
40 metres so obviously I’m more of a speed endurance than a
straight explosive athlete.,” she said.
Sargent will return to Stade Moncton on Friday to spearhead the
women’s 4x100m relay before lining up for the heats of the 4x400m
relay the following day.
“I have a day off tomorrow then I’ll have to
regroup and get settled and get mentally prepared for the 4x100m
and 4x400m relays and hopefully another four races so it’s a big
load but I’m looking forward to it.”
Stepping out in the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles, Rosie Lawson
was unlucky to collect the first hurdle and did not finish the
race.
While disappointed with tonight’s result, Lawson was happy to have
made the semi-finals and will now look to Friday’s heats of the
4x100m relay.
“I got off the start really badly and came in and hit the first
hurdle with my lead leg which is kind of difficult to recover from,
especially when it’s the first hurdle,” she said.
“When it’s one of the last hurdles it’s easy to keep going but I
hit the first one with my lead leg and slipped off and lost my
balance completely.
“I was really happy with yesterday’s race so
that’s good and I’ve got the relay in two days’ time which should
be lots of fun.”
The action continues on day four of the world junior titles with
Lara Nielsen in the qualifying rounds of the
hammer throw, Amanda Bartrim in the qualifying
rounds of the pole vault, Karlie Morton,
Ella Nelson, Jake Hammond and
Mathew Turk in the heats of the 200m and
Brooke Stratton in the qualifying rounds of the
long jump on a blockbuster morning of track and field.
For all the action from day three, click
here.
The 13th IAAF world junior championships are being streamed live
online via CBC. Click here
to catch the Australian Spark in action or sign up to AthsAust
here to follow the team on
Twitter.
For a live stream of the meet outside of Canada, click here and select 'other'
sports.
Photo courtesy of Jodi Lambert
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletters to keep up to date with Athletics in Australia.
More Headlines
